Deathroots
by Dratini18
Summary: Follow Alys, the daughter of Kassedi Tabris, on her adventure to find her parents. For the first fifteen years of her life, she has considered herself Alistair's adopted daughter and lived in the court of Denerim. However, events are stirring that will prompt Alys to leave and go on an adventure of her own. Adventure, Drama, Romance and Friendship !Possibly on hiatus for a while!
1. The Black Mabari

Even a king must sleep eventually, in the depths of his warm palace, with dim torches flickering in halls. Guards stood drowsy, and knights patrolled the way with barely the required vigilance. And an elf didn't require subterfuge to sneak into the castle, yet in the shadows she lay in wait. Patient, and wide awake with a purpose.

She watched carefully as knights paced by, one at a time, slower than necessary. She picked carefully the one who was the most careless, the most at ease in his movements. In an instant, she kicked out from the shadows and sent the knight toppling forward in his heavy armor, clanking noisily as he hit the ground. He didn't even have time to raise the alarm before a knife was held firmly to the back of his neck, and the familiar voice chuckled in his ear.

"Is it not embarrassing to be bested by an elf half your size, Kourga Wilds? I expected more of a challenge, or did you lie when you said you had finished your training?" the elf whispered, her sharp ears listening carefully for approaching footsteps.

"Sneaking about again, Alys? The king will be disappointed in you. I don't even _want _to imagine the queen's reaction," Kourga groaned, and he felt the weapon leave his skin, and Alys stood.

"You're not going to tell," Alys said with an unconcerned shrug.

"Why wouldn't I?" Kourga asked as he regained his footing, "I have to report disturbances."

"Because you'd have to admit that I kicked your ass," Alys yawned, leaning against a wall, "You weren't nearly as alert as you should be."

"It's almost dawn, I should be asleep," Kourga said, removing his helmet and rubbing his face for emphasis.

"Pfft. Excuses. You're only bitter," Alys said with a cocky smile, crossing her arms.

"I'm not bitter. Everyone knows I could beat you nine times out of ten in a fair fight," Kourga complained, putting his helmet back on and loosening his sword.

Alys eyed him warily and then shrugged. "Hm. Probably best to avoid those then, ain't it?" She turned her back to him and headed down a darker pathway.

"Where do you think you're going, Alys?" Kourga demanded.

"It's almost dawn. I have to sleep," Alys called back, and Kourga sighed as she was gone.

Alys woke up around noon to the queen's face, glaring viciously at her sleeping body. "Shit!" Alys exclaimed, sitting upright and flattening her hair with her hands. She scowled at the sun peering in through her window. "Your majesty, Queen Elise," she growled, regaining her elegance for a moment. "Any reason you're watching me sleep?"

"It's your fifteenth birthday today," Elise stated simply.

"And I'm supposed to believe you're here to wish me well?" Alys growled, sitting up, hoping she didn't look childish in her night gown.

"It's time for you to leave," Elise said calmly, smoothing the skirt of her fancy gown.

"Right, of course it is. You tried this last year too. And the year before that. Alistair seems to like having me around, and I like to stay. So you can take your nasty thoughts and begone to whatever corner you came from," Alys said, standing up and pulling her dark brown hair into a ponytail in the mirror. She smirked at Elise's enraged face in the background, and took a dagger from the desk, and pointed it at her carelessly. "Begone."

The queen muttered something about ears as she left, picking up her skirt to storm out properly, and Alys laughed. "I wish I had some decent company," she sighed, laying back on her bed. "Oh, sorry Colette," she added, noticing the pale elven servant in the corner.

"No offense taken, milady," she said meekly, and Alys sighed. Colette merely proved her point. All of the elves at the palace were dull and shy, and _submissive_. She had once tried to fight with an elf, for fun, and he ran off screaming at the sight of her blade. Annoying. She changed into her court dress.

"Alys? Are you decent?" King Alistair's familiar voice came from around the corner.

"Yes, I am, but I'm rather tired," Alys said, washing her face hastily and applying a shiny gold earring to her ear, near the tip. Alistair had told her that her mother had left it to her before leaving. She wore it all the time.

"Yes, about that. Kourga told me about your little _excursion _last night," Alistair said, peering into her room. Alys scowled.

"That snitch. I'll get him for that," Alys said venomously, turning to the king. "I was wondering why the she-devil was glaring at me this morning. Honestly, you need to keep her on a tighter leash."

"Hey, watch it. That's the Queen of Fereldan, Alys," Alistair said gently, his tones injured.

"I don't care if she's Andraste herself, anyone who is so racist against elves doesn't deserve my respect, nor anyone else's," Alys stated plainly.

"Alys-" Alistair began, but Alys shot him a glare and interrupted.

"Go on, tell me how much you love her again," she hissed through her teeth.

"I loved your mother, Alys," Alistair blurted, and Alys gazed at him in surprise. There was a silence.

"Fifteen years, and you never thought to share this bit?" Alys said finally, leaning against her window.

"I don't like to talk about it," Alistair admitted uneasily, "She fooled me into believing that you were mine."

"So that's why I'm still here," Alys said finally.

"It became clear that you were pure elf within a year, but... I owed her. She's the Hero of Fereldan. And she was gone. I wasn't about to send you to the Alienage," Alistair admitted.

"Do you know who my father is?" Alys asked, staring at the uncomfortable Alistair eagerly.

"I try not to think about it... and I promised never to speak to you about him, lest you try to seek him out," Alistair said, "And now I know why she made me make such promises," he scowled.

"Elise wants me out of the castle anyways, so why not? I could take some knights with me too, if it's dangerous," Alys said with an innocent smile. Of course she would ditch the knights as soon as she left Denerim.

"No, Alys. I promised I would keep you safe until your mother returns."

"Right, _if_ she returns," Alys protested, "And you can't expect me to sit here and play noble until I die," she snapped.

"Enough, Alys. This isn't what I wanted to talk about," Alistair said, annoyed, "I got something for you. A birthday gift."

"You did?" Alys asked, unable to hide her surprise. It wasn't appropriate for the King to get a 'servant' a gift for her birthday, which was the public's common portrayal of her. As a result, she hadn't gotten anything before, except from Kourga, who gave her her own daggers to learn with on her fourteenth.

"Don't act so surprised. Come with me, it'll be great," Alistair insisted, gesturing for Alys to follow. She didn't hesitate, hurrying after him.

"Alistair, where are you taking me?" Alys asked, trotting to keep up with him.

"You'll see," Alistair said, hardly hiding his excitement. He pushed open a door and peered in with a smile, and then closed it. He turned and faced Alys with a smile.

"You remember that your mother had a mabari, right? Alduin. He played a larger role than anyone cares to admit in ending the Blight," Alistair said.

"Yes, I remember," Alys replied.

"And you know she left him here?"

"Yes, but Alduin follows you now," Alys pointed out.

"Well, see for yourself," Alistair said, nearly erupting with excitement as he opened the door, an old guest room. A dark colored mabari lay on the bed, a litter of pups napping at her belly, and Alduin sitting proudly at the base of the bed. He barked happily at Alistair, and the four puppies awoke with a bustle, all adding their tiny yelps to the cacophony. The dark mabari looked irritated, and sat up to get a better look.

"A mabari?" Alys squeaked, her voice cracking like it did when she was thirteen.

"Happy birthday, Alys," Alistair said with a smile.

Alys gazed at the pups in awe, and Alistair closed the door, leaving himself out of the room. The dark female mabari watched Alys ceaselessly, and growled when she took a step forward.

They were, most of them, Alduin's color, a golden brown with dark eyes, except for the one, dark like his mother, and the most dominant of the four, by the looks. When Jess didn't protest, Alys sat down to their level to meet them properly. The black one was the one that chose her.

Ulfric rarely left Alys' side after that.

_Afterthoughts: Hello everyone! I'm Sydney, and I've finally plucked up the courage to submit a fanfiction for my favorite game series in the world: Dragon Age! Next chapter, I'll be adding the character who is featured as the cover art for this, Ryan. But no more spoilers! I'd appreciate it if you'd review so I know how I'm doing. Thank you everyone!_


	2. Maleficarum

Snow fell gently in Denerim that winter, and Queen Elise turned out to be pregnant, and had a healthy boy who did nothing but squall. They called him Drake Theirin, and admired him more than he deserved, in Alys's opinion, especially since he was never let out of the Queen's sight, and no doubt was being taught the very racist ways Alys despised. She made a resolve to teach him better when he was older, so that he would make a fair king like his father, but for now, she would have to let Elise have her way.

After her fifteenth birthday, Alys was forced to play noble more often, much to her disappointment. It seemed that everyone knew she was of the same blood of Fereldan's hero, which made her an important tool for aristocrats who figured her to be close enough with the king to speak in their favor.

More unpleasant, however, were the _suitors_. It was no secret that the queen wanted her out of the castle, and now she was of the proper age to be married off to some stiff-necked nobleman. The few that weren't bred to be racist and abusive were soft and unpracticed, and none of them managed to earn her respect. A few were even sent home crying about a cut from her knife into their precious clothing. Cowards, the lot of them.

She was sitting in one of the lounge rooms at the castle and watching the snowfall with Ulfric beside her when all of the templars stormed in. She was confused, of course, since she wasn't a mage or anything, but they were armed to the teeth, and there was no arguing with them.

"Ulfric, I want you to go and bark at Alistair until he does something," Alys said to the mabari as she surrendered her daggers and loaded her into a horse drawn cart, her hands bound. The templars were not gentle, either, nor coordinated, and she nearly landed on top of a girl who had already been loaded up.

"Well, hello there," Alys said, easily making her way to the other side of the cart and sitting on the built-in wooden bench. Alys watched the mage expectantly, but she didn't respond. She looked similar in age to Alys, perhaps thirteen or fourteen, and scared to death of whatever awaited her. There was no way her face was actually that pale. And then Alys noticed the blood. She was ashamed at how long it took for her to actually register it, since it splattered the front of her robes- dark red against sky blue. It took another minute of examination at least to notice that the mage's hands were still bleeding.

"Blood magic?" Alys breathed, and the cart started to move. She could hear the clop of the horses' hooves as the mage suddenly took notice of her. Her eyes were icy blue, like her robes, but colder, sort of washed out. She didn't say anything still, so Alys gave up, lounging as much as she could with her bound hands, propping her legs up on the bench beside the blood mage. The mage still ignored her.

"This is going to be a long journey," Alys sighed.

At least an hour passed, and Alys had been reduced to staring at the back opening of the carriage. It was locked of course, but Alys was sure that she'd be able to get it open, and jump out, if the horses weren't going too fast. The mage had remained silent, and might have been asleep, if her eyes had been closed.

"How long is this silent thing going to act, mage?" Alys said finally, putting her feet down and staring at the girl. She only made eye contact for a second. "Are you not talking to me because I'm not a mage?" No response.

Alys scoffed and leaned back again, catching the mage's attention. "You're probably just another racist human, just like our evil queen."

"I don't care that you're an elf!" the mage finally snapped, glaring fiercely at Alys. Alys grinned, but the mage continued, "I've seen you before. You walk around with royalty, you do, so you're probably only here to see that if I say something incriminating, everyone will know that I'm a blood mage, and I'll be executed!" she babbled, near hysteria.

"Don't you see that my hands are bound too?" Alys pointed out, lifting her hands for emphasis. "I'm no royal, sister. The bloody queen has been itching to kick me out since they figured out I wasn't just half elf."

The mage sighed and put her head in her hands. "Shit. I said something incriminating," she realized, a little too late, and Alys chuckled.

"I'm not here to judge you. I can't say much else to convince you," Alys said, and the mage looked up, watching her carefully.

"But you're not a mage. I can tell, and the templars should have been able as well," she pointed out.

"You're familiar with the amount of coin in the pockets of royalty, right?" Alys observed, giving the mage pause. "They probably would have paid you too, if you weren't due to be executed. From what I can see," Alys said, indicating the girl's bloody attire, "your actions were pretty damning."

"I... I suppose so," the girl said quietly, looking down.

"My name's Alys," Alys offered, "but I think I can get us out of here."

"I'm Ryan. Pleased to meet you," she said with a smile, "I'm curious to know how you plan to achieve that."

"Well, as you noticed, I'm not a mage," Alys said with a grin, testing the rope around her hands and scanning the carriage. Her eyes locked on a sharp-looking bit of wood that must have broken under stress. She walked over and hooked the bonds around it, tugging fiercely. She stumbled backwards into the door and rubbed her wrists. They were free, at least, but bruised. "My talents are a bit on the darker side," Alys finished, untying Ryan's bounds and regaining bloodflow in her fingers.

"Oh! So you can pick the lock?" Ryan asked excitedly, smoothing her hair.

"Maybe, if it was on the inside of the carriage," Alys answered. "But we'll have to stop soon. My guess is that they'll make a detour to Amaranthine for necessary supplies. That's when we can make our break."

"So we simply burst out when they unlock us and wreak havoc? Sounds messy," Ryan said.

"You use blood magic to stall while I sneak away and find my weapons. Then, I'll come back and kill them in their sleep, after they've locked you up again, and I'll simply let you out, and we'll be on our merry way."

"Oh! This is going to be fun," Ryan said darkly, "How much longer do you think it'll be until we-"

The rest of her words were cut off as the cart jerked to a stop. They was yelling outside, and the shrill braying of horses and the steel ringing of swords being drawn and clashing.

"Something's wrong," Alys said, standing up and going to the door. She hesitantly pushed at it, just in case. It was still sealed. "I think we've been attacked."

"I think there's other mages," Ryan murmured, joining Alys at the door.

"I can't decide whether this is good or bad," Alys admitted. The shouting gradually stopped, and Alys backed away from the door. There was no way of telling which side had won, but she could hear them muttering to each other not far from the door.

At length, a tentative voice called into the carriage. "Hello? Are you mages?"

it said. It was a masculine voice, or so Alys guessed.

"I am," Ryan declared to the door, "Alys is here by mistake. Someone bribed the templars to take her," Ryan explained.

"Can you get us out of here?" Alys asked, and she heard the chain break. The doors opened, and the evening light poured in. Before them was a group of mages, varying in age, and the leader seemed to be a young man with short black hair, graying at the roots.

"You two are free now," he said simply.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm appreciative, but why did you rescue us?" Ryan asked politely, stepping out of the carriage.

"We're called Arcana," the man explained, "and we're a group of mages escaped from the circle. We stand for the rights that mages deserve."

"My name's Ryan, and this is Alys," Ryan replied. Alys stepped out of the carriage and crossed her arms indignantly.

"Where are my daggers?" Alys growled, glaring at the mages.

"Oh, so you're a rogue? And an elf, no less. You remind me of someone I knew before I started this thing," the man said, "We didn't find any daggers on the templars, or in the cargo space."

"Damn. They were probably left at the castle," Alys muttered. "Thanks for rescuing us and all, but I have something to do," she said decisively. She tested the weight of one of the templar swords, and then discarded it in favor of a lighter one, wrapping the sheath's belt around her waist and putting the weapon away.

"You're just leaving?" Ryan asked with a frown.

"I have no place among mages," Alys said, not looking back as she continued down the road.

"At least stay for the night," the Arcana leader insisted, "We keep a watch, and we can probably defend you if something attacks."

Alys considered this for a minute. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"My name's Jowan. I like to make things right for people in a wronged scenario. You're an elf who was wrongly arrested for being something you're not. Just because you're not a mage, doesn't mean you don't deserve... justice for what was done to you. Please, we can help you at least until morning."

Alys watched as the other mages started to break camp, breaking up the carriage for firewood, and tethering the horse to a tree. They seemed safe enough, and she could see Ryan watching them. She had caution in her eyes, or longing, Alys couldn't tell, perhaps it was both.

"Just for one night," Alys allowed, and then she helped the mages pitch tents that they had brought, and collect twigs and such for the fire.

She and Ryan had bedrolls next to each other, since they were the newest. It was around midnight by the time the camp was ready.

"Why do you want to leave so badly anyways?" Ryan asked quietly in the hush.

Alys turned to see Ryan's pale blue eyes watching her intently. "I need to get back to the castle. My mabari is waiting for me."

"How do you know that your mabari hasn't been killed? If the queen went through the trouble to make you disappear, why leave an intelligent beast as that alive?" Ryan pointed out, and Alys frowned.

"Ulfric is smart. And faster than most mabari. He made it out," Alys insisted.

"So your mabari is the only reason you want to leave?" Ryan pried eagerly, and Alys shrugged. She brought her hand to her ear and the earring. Lucky they hadn't taken it from her when they took her weapons.

"I suppose there are other things I've been intending," she said softly, touching the gold. "Find my mother, for one. Then I can figure out who exactly is my father, and why the hell he ran off," she said, ending in a vehement growl.

"You know who they are?" Ryan asked, her eyes a little longing. Definitely longing this time.

"I know my mother was the Hero of Fereldan. This earring was a trinket of hers. I've no leads on my father," Alys admitted.

"You're going to hunt down Kassedi Tabris?" Ryan squeaked, disbelieving. "How are you going to get her to tell you who your father is? What if she doesn't even know?"

"She'll know. She has to know. From what I've read, she wasn't the type to sleep around," Alys said darkly.

"And you're going to find her alone?" Ryan asked.

"That's the idea," Alys replied simply.

"Maybe I could go with you as well?" Ryan asked.

"Why? You would fit in beautifully here. You have no reason to aid me in my quest," Alys pointed out, watching Ryan.

"I don't see why not. And I've no reason to trust these apostates," Ryan whispered.

"You have no reason to trust me either," Alys chuckled, and a mage from another tent made an urgent shushing sound, causing Ryan to laugh softly as well.

"I don't know why... I just trust you. Back there, when there was a chance we were going to escape ourselves, you vowed to come back for me, and I believed you," Ryan said, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.

Alys watched her with a small smile. She hadn't even thought of leaving Ryan when they were discussing that, unlike most people. Suddenly, she couldn't picture herself leaving Ryan here either.

_A/N: Hope you all enjoy this chapter a little more than the first! It's more action-packed, and less sitting around in a castle. Again, please review. :D It's good to know I have readers. It's good encouragement to continue on._


	3. The Dwarven City

The Arcanists moved on in the morning, north to Amaranthine, if Alys had to guess. Her and Ryan had decided to continue down the Long Road, and then see if they could get in to Orzammar before clearing the mountains, and with them, Fereldan.

"So, Ryan. What exactly can you do?" Alys pondered after they were clear of the other mages.

"Well, I can do simple fire and ice spells, and a little lightning. And the entropy is fun, on a good day when I can focus. And then, of course, the blood magic, but that's usually a last resort," Ryan said absently, kicking a rock daintily. She looked surprisingly innocent to Alys as she watched. The bloodstains on her pale blue and yellow robes had mysteriously disappeared, and the mages had given her a metal staff from one of their fallen- she looked like just another mage. "Oh, and I do a little spirit healing as well, but not much. It requires calling nice spirits from the Fade, but I don't want to accidentally bring a demon," Ryan shuddered at the thought.

"Well, it's good to know you're not planning on turning into an abomination," Alys replied.

"Well, I was raised with the Circle of Magi," Ryan smiled, "And they taught me much of what I know. I was one of the top students, and then the mage of Denerim's court asked for me to be her apprentice, and I learned even more. Demons are not to be trifled with, and definitely not to be trusted," she said firmly.

"Do you mind my asking how you ended up at the Circle?" Alys asked carefully. Ryan glanced at her and shrugged.

"It was a long time ago, but I remember the basics. I must have been four or five years old, and my parents were... lesser nobility? I think that's what they told me at the Circle whenever I asked, but that could have been a lie. I was also told that they loved and missed me very much, which wasn't true. They never visited out of fear, or superstition," Ryan answered hesitantly. "I remember them throwing pots and pans and other things at me, and I had to run away," she added quietly.

Ryan jumped a little when Alys put a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, right. I ran to the Chantry, who took me to the Circle. I passed the Harrowing when I was only ten, which is why I went to Denerim," she finished hastily. "The Harrowing is like mage exams, except you die if you fail, because you're possessed," she added as an afterthought.

"Thank you for sharing that with me Ryan. It must take a lot of courage to tell someone about yourself," Alys said warmly with a smile.

"What about you Alys? How'd you find yourself at the castle?" Ryan asked cheerily.

"I was born into it," Alys sighed, "My mother dropped me there and kind of left. King Alistair kept me because he thought I was his for a while, until my ears got pointier, and it was obvious that I didn't have human in me."

"And he didn't send you to the Alienage?" Ryan asked curiously.

"No. He said that he 'owed' my mother for ending the Blight and all, or putting him on the throne. Maybe both. I don't know much about the stories about her, but I never really bothered to learn either. The truth is, she simply left me. Whether she didn't care about me or couldn't, I never thought of her with anything but bitterness," Alys explained.

"Maybe when we find her, she'll be able to explain why," Ryan said hopefully.

"I hope she will have answers to more than that," Alys replied.

"Do you have any leads on where she went?" Ryan asked, and Alys stopped thoughtfully.

"Well, no actually..." Alys said with a frown. Ryan stopped a bit ahead and turned around.

"Where are we going then?" she laughed, leaning on her staff.

"I... don't know, actually," Alys admitted sheepishly. There was a short silence, and then Ryan started laughing, nearly falling over.

"It's not funny!" Alys said hotly, though she felt like laughing in spite of herself. Ryan rubbed her face and then looked at Alys.

"Now what?" she chuckled, and Alys thought for a moment.

"Oh! My earring!" Alys said excitedly, unhooking the golden trinket and holding it in her palm. "I bet we could get it appraised and find out where it came from."

"What does that have to do with your mother?" Ryan asked, finally recovering from her laughing fit.

"Alistair said that it was a trinket of hers, that she'd left to me. If we can find who made it, then we can find who bought it and trace it to my mother!" Alys finished, proud of her solution. She tossed the earring into the air triumphantly and caught it in her other hand before replacing it in her ear.

"So we need to find someone to appraise it?" Ryan pondered, rolling onto her heels.

"Yes. And that person can probably tell us where it was made," Alys replied, confident in the plan.

"Do you think it'll lead us anywhere dangerous?" Ryan asked excitedly, swinging her staff playfully, sending a bolt of lightning fizzing down the road.

"It's possible," Alys chuckled, shoving Ryan's arm in amusement. "I just hope we don't have to go through Antiva. I don't want to have to deal with assassins."

Ryan shrugged. "I'll bet we could handle them."

"Right," Alys sighed, rolling her eyes, "Now we just need to find and appraiser."

"Orzammar, perhaps?" Ryan asked.

"Orzammar it is. We have to go that direction to leave Fereldan anyways," Alys said.

Alys and Ryan arrived at Orzammar without incident, down the Long Road. Even passing the spire in the lake, there was no one harrying them, even though there were probably templars out looking for them.

The great dwarven city was open to trade, and the gates were busy with people rushing in and out, and dwarves calling out into the bustle in attempt to sell whatever goods they had. The odd thing was that there were just as many humans about as there were dwarves.

"Something King Behlen's done for the dwarves I hear," Ryan scowled, "I wonder why your mother put him on the throne. He's ruined their society."

"Well, from what I read back in Denerim, he was the rightful heir, and the most obvious choice anyways," Alys said with a shrug, "Though I suppose it does give us a little insight on what my mother was like, don't you think?"

"Perhaps there'll be someone who knew her here," Ryan suggested, giving Alys pause. She hadn't considered that before. There could be someone around who used to know the fabled Grey Warden.

"We should focus on finding an appraiser. And enough food to last us a trip. I haven't much coin, so we might have to find work," Alys pointed out with a scowl. No doubt they would be asked to go into the Deep Roads, given the chance.

"Oh! I've never seen a darkspawn before!" Ryan chirped as the pair entered the vast underground city, and Alys sighed.

"I've only seen them in books. Not eager to meet them in person," she responded dully, "Monstrous creatures."

"You're no fun," Ryan chided, "You must have _some _Blight in you."

Alys sighed again. "I guess I must, all things considered."

"Word on the street says that you're a reliable appraiser. Is this true?" Alys asked, leaning on the dwarf's counter in his shop.

"I make jewelry, I sodding know how to appraise things," the stout man retorted indignantly, "The name's Mardar, what can I do for ya?"

"I have this earring," Alys responded, taking it out of her ear and setting it carefully on the counter. "I need to know where it was made, so I can find its original owner."

Alys bristled at the dwarf as he took the trinket into his grubby fingers. She hadn't realized how protective she was of it until now. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice.

"Jewelry crafters tend to put their signature on their pieces, but I don't see anything on this," Mardar declared, handing the earring back, "Either it's worn from use, or it's from somewhere where most jewelers are unofficial, and don't have a mark to put on it. Most of those are in Antiva, and I wouldn't touch that country with a ten foot pole."

"But if you're ten feet away from Antiva, the assassins will still be able to see you," Ryan pointed out, crossing her arms.

Alys gave a soft laugh and hooked the earring back to her ear. "How likely is it that it was worn from use?"

"Well, it's real gold, from what I can tell, so not likely," Mardar said easily, bringing our a pretty sapphire necklace. "Now, can I interest you in any of my other wares? This one would look simply amazing on your human friend."

Ryan gazed at the necklace longingly, but Alys shook her head. "No thank you. Here's what coin I can spare for you though. Thank you for this, and may the M- your ancestors smile on you," she said, barely managing to correct herself.

As they walked out of the shop, Alys chuckled darkly. "It's difficult to remember which twisted religion I'm supposed to be respecting sometimes."

"Are we going to Antiva?" Ryan asked hopefully, and Alys whacked her nose playfully.

"Yes, but you shouldn't be glad about this," she insisted, "A country full of thieves and assassins is no joke."

"I think you're just scared you'll find what you're looking for," Ryan said airily.

"I am not!" Alys laughed, "I'm just worried about them, you know, killing us."

"Well, let's not do anything worthy of being assassinated then," Ryan concluded simply.

_A/N: Sorry it's been so long, readers! On Friday, a storm knocked out my electricity, and my internet literally just came back this morning. Please read and review! I like to know what you think, your opinions on my characters, and who should pair with who. Your input will definitely be considered and will help!_


	4. The Templar Dilemma

Alys and Ryan decided that after Orzammar, they would retrace their steps down the Imperial Highway and travel north through the woods to Highever. There, they would get a boat to Kirkwall and make their way north to Antiva. What they did when they got there was beyond Alys, but the journey was enough to contend with.

They left the dwarven city immediately after their trip to Mardar's, and would be able to travel on their provisions for some time- all the way to Highever woods if they were careful, and if they weren't delayed.

"You there! Stop in the name of the Maker!" the templar ordered coldly, the leader of the three guarding the road to the Circle. Alys could feel Ryan's panic as she tried to hide meekly behind her bolder elven companion.

Alys was a little easier at being calm. "Can I help you, tin man?" she said icily, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"The Order demands that this apostate be taken to the Circle of Magi," the templar replied evenly.

"I can't allow you to do that, of course," Alys replied swiftly to the man. She couldn't see him under his shiny metal armor, but she could tell by his voice that he was frowning.

"You will release the apostate from your care, elf," he scowled, and Alys gave a small smile.

"Tell me, Ser Templar, how do you know that she is an apostate at all?" Alys asked, "We happen to be under important orders from Denerim, and are on our way back there right now from Orzammar."

"I am not an idiot," the templar snarled, "The Circle would have told us about that. They told us about two apostates under your description."

"Fine, fine," Alys sighed, "This can be your last chance to walk away, if you'd like. I don't want to have to kill you three and have murder to answer for."

"Wh-what?" the templar said, dumbfounded, "Have you not been listening to what I've been saying? Men! Bring them down!"

"You force my hand," Alys said darkly, drawing her longsword from the previous templars, and a dagger she had stolen in the dwarven city. She flinched at the sound of Ryan's startled cry. The human girl fell to her knees behind her.

Damn. Alys had forgotten about the templar abilities. Looks like I'm on my own, she thought, as the two templars that hadn't been talking drew their swords.

Alys swiftly darted around the templar leader who was controlling Ryan, deftly jumping in order to reach the neck of one of them. He was too slow in his armor to react to her dagger in his neck. Oh, and he was dead too.

The second one used a little more caution with the elven rogue, waiting for her to strike, so Alys moved on to the templar in front of Ryan. He wasn't paying attention properly, so she stabbed ruthlessly through the back of his knee, causing a yell of pain, and he dropped his concentration. Ryan was grasping weakly for her staff, and Alys went over to her and helped.

She meant to ask if the mage was alright, but she was interrupted by the third templar, who had driven his sword through her back.

This seemed to wake Ryan up. She stood with a fierce scowl, Alys' blood had splattered onto her face, and it reminded Alys of when she had first met Ryan.

"You will stop!" Ryan demanded, her voice dark and commanding, and oddly resonant. The templar's hands dropped the sword, and he backed away.

"B-b-" he stuttered, but Ryan was using the blood bleeding out of her friend and draining the templar's energy. He would not finish his sentence.

"Blood magic," Ryan snarled as the templar fell. The first templar, who had been the leader, was scooting backwards in fear, but Ryan, with a ruthless laugh, sent a bolt of lightning to finish him, roasting the man in his own skin.

"Ryan..." Alys breathed. She was laying on her stomach, the gaping wound in her back pooled with blood.

"I'm here, Alys," Ryan answered swiftly, returning from her bloodthirsty episode, hurrying over and putting her hands on the elf's back.

"That was-" Alys gasped, and winced in pain as Ryan carefully started to heal the wound, weaving the flesh back together and willing it to heal.

"I can't believe you're still alive," Ryan breathed, trying desperately not to break her concentration. She was ill practiced at healing. Alys would have this scar for a long time, perhaps the rest of her life.

Alys gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to heal as much as Ryan must be. She could feel the wound protesting, but the blood flowed through her veins still, and her heart pumped still. Alys would live to tell the tale, thanks to Ryan's patchwork.

"That's all I can do," Ryan concluded after several pain-filled moments of healing later. The wound was sealed, but a thick scab still marred the elf's back.

"Could you get me another shirt?" Alys asked, pulling the ruined fabric up to herself.

Ryan nodded complacently, and fetched the desired article of clothing for Alys, who hastily put the tunic over the rags, pulling them out from under afterwards.

"That was amazing, Ryan," Alys said, finishing her earlier statement and standing, a little shaky, but she could move fair enough.

Ryan only stared blankly at the templars. "They were only doing their job, Alys. They didn't know any better. I wish they didn't have to die," she whispered. It was obvious that she was exhausted from her healing efforts. She was leaning heavily on her staff, and shivering, despite the warmth of spring.

"We gave them a chance to run, Ryan. Please, don't dwell on it. They would have killed me- and you, after they took you to the Circle of Magi. You're a blood mage, and your phylactery is still somewhere around, isn't it," Alys pointed out gently, walking slowly over and putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I didn't mean to," Ryan insisted, "I just wanted them to go away, and to stop hurting you," she said, her voice was distant, and she was staring at the bodies.

"Ryan," Alys said firmly, forcing the mage to look into her face. She might have been in shock, "Don't dwell on it. I killed them, not you. You saved my life. We're friends," she explained slowly and calmly.

Ryan was quiet, and she looked a little green. She looked at the bodies again, and Alys dragged her a few steps away with what little strength she had, thanks to her wound. "Go another mile up the road, Ryan. Make camp there and take a rest. I'll make sure the templars are returned to the Chantry." Ryan nodded meekly, and turned around. She walked swiftly away, and Alys could only assume that she was following her instructions.

Alys sighed and pulled out her map. The docks at Lake Calenhad were close, but the small village in the Bannorn, Dragonhelm, was closer, and, more importantly, along the way. She dragged the templars into a neat row, and examined their belongings.

The plan was to make it look like highway robbery, common enough to be realistic. They didn't have much coin on them, but one of them had a blood-filled amulet of some sort. Alys had never seen a phylactery before, but the way it glowed frequently unsettled her, so she smashed it. She knew better than to hope it was Ryan's, but at least she saved whichever mage had escaped from their fate.

At the end, Alys spared a few words to the Maker for the safe passage of their souls to whatever came after. She didn't believe in the Chant of Light, but she felt it necessary to respect their religion, since they probably hadn't wanted to die in the first place. With that, she pocketed the coins, and ran off into the woods to find some fresh meat before hitting Dragonhelm. Ryan would appreciate some stew, or even a crude roast, Alys knew.

The elven rogue crept carefully through the land. The trees offered little cover, still re-filling their branches with leaves that had vanished during Fereldan's unforgiving winter. So Alys tried her best to stay near the ground, despite the stiff pain in her back whenever she got up.

Her sharp ears picked up something not so far ahead, so Alys slowed her pace, and stepped carefully. She couldn't see it, but she guessed something small. A stray nug from Orzammar or something, or a rabbit, which was more likely. She brought out the dagger, still bloody from the templar's neck, but she refused to think of that.

Just a little closer, and she would be able to see it...

Alys didn't at first register why her leg stopped functioning, because the pain came a second later. Something metal, and possibly poisonous, had latched on to her lower leg, breaking the bone with a loud snap, and rendering her foot useless. She let out an uncontrolled screech of pain, and her vision was clouded with blood. She fell to the ground as much as she could, where she deduced with what little of her mind was functioning that she had stepped on a bear trap, and what's worse, she could feel the poison rooting through her veins, making its way with unnatural swiftness to her mind.

Not deathroot, thankfully, but a Soultroot formula, if Alys had to guess. She was feeling woozy, and she would be unconscious. She heard the faint calling of horns, possibly a delusion, and then another of her own screams, weaker this time, before she lost sight of all things real.

When she regained her senses, agony was the first thing Alys registered. She was on a rough stone floor, and it felt like someone had just rubbed salt into her wound. She noticed that her weapons were gone as well, and she weakly felt for her golden earring. If those bastards had taken it... they hadn't, luckily for them.

Alys gritted her teeth through the pain in her leg, and looked up. She could hear people, clanking armor. That meant knights, right? Or just simple guards. Maker, if she only had her weapons.

"Oh! She's back to reality. You can tell by her grimace," said a male voice jovially, and she heard footsteps walking over to her.

Alys painfully looked up, and saw some nobleman's face, mere inches from her own. After a few seconds, she recognized him.

"Adam! You bastard, let me go!" she roared, struggling painfully. She realized her hands were bound.

"Still fiery as ever, dear Alys," Adam sighed, leaning back. He snapped his fingers and indicated to her, and two guards came to either side of her, lifting her up to her feet (the one that still worked, anyways).

Alys hissed as Adam brushed the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ears delicately.

"We could have been quite the couple, you know," he said quietly, and one of the guards chuckled. Adam didn't seem to pick it up, but Alys's sharp ears found it hard to miss.

"Maybe," Alys growled through gritted teeth, "Maybe if you hadn't shoved around the elven servants at the castle, and then run away like a girl when I finally got around to cutting you right."

"Mmmm," Adam purred, a glare gracing his features for only a second, "Such an imagination, on this one. I'm going to enjoy having you around," he breathed, taking a step too close. Alys jerked her good leg up into the nobleman's crotch ruthlessly at the opportune moment, causing him to stumble backwards with a groan of pain. To add insult to injury, she spat on the back of his neck as he doubled over.

Adam could barely gasp out the kill order when there was a soft knock on the door. There was a loud clanging as the door was forced open, and Alys could make out a human man with leather armor and brown hair before the guards dropped her, sending her into a world of agony once again.

In a whir, the guards were dropping like flies with arrows sticking out of their chests and faces, a slit throat here and there as well. The stone was soon sticky with blood, matting in Alys's hair, much to her disgust. What was worse, she couldn't even sit up properly to see who was doing all of the killing, and whether or not she was next.

As combat cooled down, she could hear Adam's pleas for mercy, and then a merciless-sounding slice. The killer walked over to her next, but she was weak from blood loss, and couldn't make out his face.

"Go to sleep now," the man ordered, and Alys couldn't even muster the ability to disobey.

_A/N- Longer chapter than usual, as this is where the fun begins. Please read and review!_


	5. A Little Birdie

Alys woke up in a strange camp in a warm bed roll. Her ankle and foot were bandaged with care, and she could no longer feel the splitting pain that had been the result of her misstepping into a poisoned bear trap.

She sat up slowly and was greeted by a splitting headache that darkened her vision. She groaned, and she heard someone shift. The man, a human, stood from the other side of the fire from her and walked over, setting down a steaming mug.

"You took quite the injury there, miss. Do you remember what happened?" the man asked, sitting down next to her and checking her foot.

"I- I was in Dragonhelm, the keep, and someone killed my captors," Alys remembered slowly, staring at the man warily, "I can only assume that was you?"

"Aye, it was," the man said with a smirk, leaning back, "Luckily, your foot hasn't gotten any worse since then, so you should be able to walk tomorrow." Alys watched as the man stood and walked a few paces back. She couldn't quite place his accent, but she could tell he wasn't Fereldan.

"Who are you?" Alys asked challengingly, crossing her arms, "And what did you do with my weapons?"

"Please, pardon my manners," the man said dryly, giving a mock bow, "My name is Elijah Wolf from Antiva."

"You didn't answer my question," Alys snapped, gritting her teeth as she leaned forward a little, causing fresh pain to her injury.

"And it's polite to introduce yourself after someone else," Elijah chuckled, somewhat amused despite Alys's serious tone.

"Alys Tabris," Alys hissed defiantly.

"Oh? I've caught someone important! You're a little young to be a hero of nations, aren't you?" Elijah said jokingly with a cruel smile.

"Learn your history," Alys said, rolling her eyes, "Kassedi Tabris was the hero of Fereldan, and I am her daughter. And allow me to point out that she'll be pissed off when she realizes that you've kidnapped me!"

"Temper, temper," Elijah tsked, and Alys scowled, "I am not kidnapping you at all, my dear," he continued, "as you are free to leave whenever you wish, and you are not bound at all, unlike at the castle."

Alys considered this a moment, "Then why have you taken my weapons?" she challenged.

"I have done no such thing," Elijah said shortly, "The guards of the castle took them away when they grabbed you from the trap."

"And you just so happened to forget them?" Alys asked bitingly.

"I could only just barely get you out, my dear. Did you expect me to risk my life for weapons of a girl I have never met before?" Elijah countered.

"Why did you rescue me at all, hm?" Alys pointed out, proud of herself for coming up with the point. "You mentioned you were Antivan, right?"

"I- yes? What does my heritage matter? I rescued you out of the goodness of my heart, is that so hard to believe?" Elijah asked with a pout.

"You're a Crow then," Alys guessed, "Am I your target?"

Elijah laughed bitterly, "Not every Antivan is a Crow. They have to victimize someone!"

"Every Antivan who travels is a Crow, because only Crows can cross the border," Alys replied icily, and Elijah sighed.

"I am not a Crow, but I was once," Elijah began and was interrupted by Alys's laugh.

"No one escapes the Crows. Period. End of story. Try again, Wolf," Alys snorted, looking to the fire.

"It's not like I did it alone," Elijah snarled, "As a matter of fact, I had help from someone else who had gotten out. Zevran something. You've heard of him, yes?"

"No, and I don't believe you," Alys said airily, crossing her arms, "One Crow flown the coop is hard to believe but two escaped chickens? You're insulting my intelligence now."

Elijah rolled his eyes, "Fine, don't believe me. But think of this. If I was actually a Crow, why would I be here? Why would I rescue you and heal you, if you were my target? And if I had a target in Fereldan, why would I waste time rescuing you when I should be going after my target?" Alys was silent as she considered the human's words.

"You need to think about who's insulting whose intelligence, princess, and get your priorities straight. Now, you can either let me help you, or you can sit here until your foot falls off," Elijah said solemnly, standing up and taking a longbow from the makeshift table, shouldering it as well as a quiver of arrows.

"Where are you going?" Alys demanded.

"I'm going hunting," Elijah replied and then he was gone. Alys watched the area he left blankly and wondered where Ryan was.

* * *

Ryan had pitched the tent and made a fire all by herself, and Alys was still nowhere to be seen. The sun was setting by now, and Ryan was forced, in her anxiety, to relive what had happened with the templars in her mind.

She had broken a promise to herself. She killed those men, who had only been standing up for what they believed in and doing their job. There was nothing dirty or dishonorable about being a templar, especially if it fed your family. What if those templars had families? The thought about it made Ryan tear up.

"I promised..." she whispered to herself, sitting by the fire as the sun finally disappeared.

It didn't occur to her again that Alys was gone until it was almost midnight, and she realized that she was exhausted from the fight. She swore quietly and rubbed her temples, looking at the fire with a frown.

"I'll come for you tomorrow, Alys," Ryan whispered to the flames as she poured a pail of water onto it, sending up a thick cloud of steam, "I promise."

* * *

Alys didn't notice that she had fallen asleep until she was awoken by Elijah's startled yell. It was morning again, and Alys sat bolt upright, her eyes wide with horror, as she saw Ryan holding Elijah by the neck with a spell seeping into him from her fingers.

"Ryan! Stop!" Alys said in alarm, her voice cracking from dryness. She coughed, but luckily Ryan understood and backed away, leaving Elijah in a fit of hacking, droplets of blood spraying the ground.

Ryan hurried over to Alys and took her hand, letting out a slurred stream of so many apologies that Alys couldn't even begin to understand as Ryan healed Alys's foot.

"It's alright, Ryan," Alys said, standing up a little shakily and giving the frightened girl a hug. Elijah finished coughing for just long enough to glare at Alys.

"Why... didn't you mention... her?" he spat vehemently, and Alys couldn't help but chuckle.

"You mean to tell me that you're scared of little Ryan?" Alys asked and Ryan giggled.

Elijah only continued to cough, so Alys sighed. "Please Ryan, could you heal Elijah? He has done me no harm. Quite the opposite, as much as I hate to admit it," Alys muttered, half hoping that Ryan didn't hear and left the man to die, but the young blood mage was too good-natured for that. Instead, she went over to Elijah and healed him.

"Ryan, allow me to introduce you to Elijah Wolf, ex-Crow," Alys said, standing over the still breathless Elijah with a smirk.

"A pleasure," Elijah said coldly, standing to his full height and crossing his arms.

"My name is Ryan Minister. I'm not actually a minister of anything though," Ryan said hastily with a polite curtsy. "An ex-Crow you say? I didn't think anyone was able to get out of there alive."

"I had help," Elijah replied, rubbing his jaw as he looked from Ryan to Alys and back.

There was a pause and then Alys cleared her throat. "Well, now that I'm recovered, this is where we part ways, Wolf."

"What? I don't think so," Elijah said stubbornly, "You owe me still. I saved your life, y'know!"

"Yes, and I just saved yours, as Ryan surely would have killed you as well as healed me," Alys said cleverly. Ryan nodded strengthening her point, "Unless you want to admit that you have an ulterior motive for aiding me?" Alys asked as an afterthought, crossing her arms and tilting her head at Elijah with a smirk.

Elijah opened his mouth to reply but closed it and glared instead. "Fine," he said bitingly, "I need capable help to get the Crows off of my tail, and I saw you dragging those templars onto the road," he said, indicating to Alys, "So I said to myself, 'Wow Elijah, that's exactly who you need to help you! An elven woman who could take out three templars all on her own!', and then I followed you from there."

"Now you know that I had help. Do you still want me on your side?" Alys replied with a taunting grin.

"Two is better than one," Elijah said, "but three is always better than two. That's my motto," Elijah said with a suggestive smirk.

Ryan blushed, but Alys gave a cruel laugh, "And what if we just decided to loot your corpse after the first camp?"

"It's not like I don't have anything to offer you, so I don't think you'd be that stupid," Elijah said, "I hunt, and I don't accidentally step on bear traps. I could catch enough for three people on a bad day of hunting."

"What if I told you we're also fugitives?" Alys glared.

"Well, I'd tell you that I was hardly surprised, and I'd say us fugitives need to stick together, don't we?"

"Can we keep him?" Ryan whispered in Alys's ear.

Alys watched Elijah for a moment, and he, noticing her gaze, gave his most winning smile. Alys rolled her eyes, "Fine, he can stay. But you're not going to like where we're going," she added to Elijah.

"Unless you're going to Antiva, I really don't... oh no. We're going there?" Elijah asked with a sigh.

"Still want to come, Wolf?" Alys asked tauntingly with a grin.

"Why would you want to go to Antiva?" Elijah asked, his voice somewhat pleading.

"It's a long story," Alys deflected, crossing her arms.

"It's a long road to Antiva," Elijah persisted with a small smile.

"Does this mean he's coming? Yay!" Ryan squeaked, twirling her staff in her glee. "Sorry, Alys, but the rabbits you caught were always scrawny or sick. This'll be great!"

_A/N: Hiya everyone! Kept you waiting, didn't I? What do you all think of the new character? Anyways, please read and review and all that jazz. :) I like all your feedback~_


	6. In His Majesty's Service

"So, you're looking for your mother?" Elijah concluded, "So that she can tell you who your father is?"

Alys nodded, "Yes. Is that difficult for you to understand?"

"Yes," Elijah admitted, "Why so interested in the family heritage?"

Alys paused in thought for a moment. "I want to know if my life could have been different and why it's not."

"What's the use in wondering about the past?" Elijah asked, "It's not like it can be changed."

"But knowing it might make me know myself better," Alys argued, crossing her arms, "And what if I have the totally wrong idea about my parents? What if my mother ran away because she knew she was going to die soon, and couldn't care for me? What if my father doesn't even know I exist?"

"Point taken," Elijah granted, "but what'll you do when you find out?"

"I'll figure it out when I get there. And after that, I guess I'll go back to the castle."

"Weren't you just saying how you left because you didn't want to spend your life playing the diplomat?" Elijah sneered, and Alys stopped, throwing her pack down.

"You think it'd be better to just be a mercenary?" she snapped and Ryan coughed.

"I think I'm going to ...umm... go... over here," Ryan said lamely, hurrying off with her staff.

"I'm saying that you can't run forever, Alys, and you can't go back to the castle with what you told me about Ryan," Elijah pointed out, setting his bag down and leaning against a tree.

"They'll pardon her," Alys argued, "Especially after helping me on my personal quest against the treacherous queen."

"And what makes you important enough to make you sure that the king will take your word for it and pardon her?" Elijah said with a smile, "Just playing devil's advocate."

"Well, she can just stop using blood magic then. No one can prove she did whatever it was that got her carted away with me," Alys said.

"Except for the witnesses who reported her in the first place. You think a templar would think twice?" Elijah asked.

"Pft. Templars," Alys scoffed disdainfully, "I don't believe that they'd think _once_. Twice is out of the question."

Elijah gave a laugh, "Alright alright, I'm done prying about your future plans."

"Good, because it's none of your business," Alys chuckled, leaning against a tree across from Elijah.

"And why can't it be any of my business?" Elijah said quietly, looking at Alys with a half grin.

Alys watched him for a second, wary, "I don't even know why you're following me, Wolf. You're not going to be around much longer once you realize what you're getting into."

"I know exactly what I'm getting into. You just told me everything," Elijah said.

"You don't know how dangerous my mother can be. If we find her... let's just say she doesn't like humans too much," Alys said.

"And how do you know, if you've never met her?" Elijah asked.

"Alistair told me. They travelled together, and he talks endlessly of the abuse she put him through," Alys said simply.

Elijah sighed, "Why are you such an open book? It makes prying much less fun."

Alys blinked, "Well, you should know at least what I'm doing, if you're following me around. Why, again, are you following us?"

"Because you two lovely young women need help," Elijah said with a wry grin.

Alys rolled her eyes, and Elijah walked over to her. "You really should be more careful who you tell your stories to, princess. Someone might want to do you harm," he breathed, looking into her eyes. Alys glared and pushed Elijah away, and she heard a gasp behind her and a crash.

"I'm okay!" came Ryan's voice as she rose out of the bush, leaning on her staff.

"Ryan! What did I tell you about climbing trees? It's dangerous for humans, who are so tall and awkward."

"I find myself offended," Elijah chuckled, looking down at the elf with an amused glimmer in his eye. "I climb trees quite often."

"And how often do you fall out of them?" Alys countered, and Elijah merely rolled his eyes.

"We're almost to Highever, I think," Ryan pointed out. Indeed, the lights of the city could be seen through the trees, even in broad daylight.

"I think we can make it there today if we hurry. Sleep in an inn for a change," Alys commented.

"That sounds wonderful!" Elijah said with a stretch, "And maybe we can get Alys some weapons too, so she's not totally useless."

Alys shot Elijah a glare, "Be quiet."

"Don't like my teasing?" Elijah persisted with a saucy grin, and Alys shook her head.

"No, be quiet. I think I hear somethi-" Alys began, but she was cut off as the massive black dog erupted from the bushes and pinned her to the ground. Elijah brought out his bow and pointed it at the canine, and Ryan looked like she was preparing a spell.

"Don't attack!" Alys laughed as the dog licked her face, "This is Ulfric, he's my friend from the castle."

"And who is that?" Elijah asked icily, his arrow pointed at the man who was clumsily exiting the woods where the company stood. Alys shook the warhound off and patted his head, proud of how much bigger he had gotten in her absence. As she got to her feet, she gave a wry smile.

"Kourga Wilds. Here to arrest me?" Alys said, trying to make herself look as careless as ever.

Kourga took a second to pant, and Ryan pranced over to Alys's side. "Alys, are we supposed to shoot him?" she whispered, and Alys shrugged.

"Only if I say so," Alys replied, gazing at the knight with suspicion.

"No," Kourga said between pants, hands on his knees, "Thank the Maker I've found you though. King Alistair sent me."

"Well I've no intention of going back to Denerim, after I've come this far, thank you. Though I appreciate you reuniting me with my dog before I left Fereldan," Alys said.

"Wait, what?" Kourga replied incredulously, standing up straight, "What do you mean you're not coming back?"

"Well, this 'accident' has sparked an adventure in me, and I plan on seeing it through," Alys explained with a carefree grin.

"I don't like the sound of your 'adventures', Alys," Kourga said, glaring at Alys and her company.

"And what're you gonna do about it, hot-shot?" Alys challenged, putting her hands on her hips and leaning forward tauntingly. Ulfric barked.

"What, you're taking her side?" Kourga said to the dog, and Alys chuckled. "I'm the one who brought you here, ungrateful mongrel."

"Leave Ulfric alone, Kourga," Alys intervened, crossing her arms, "If you're not going to help me on my adventure, at least do not hinder me. Me and my friends are getting on a ship in Highever and going to Kirkwall after this."

"Why?" Kourga asked, staring blankly at the elf. "And more importantly, why are you taking a band of fugitives with you?" he accused, glaring at the indignant Ryan and Elijah, who still had his bow pointed at the knight.

"To find my mother of course," Alys grinned wickedly.

"Your mother?" Kourga questioned, and Alys rolled her eyes.

"Is there an echo out here?" she said airily. "Now, Kourga, decide your course of action, swiftly. I wouldn't _want_ to have to injure my friend too seriously to chase after me, but..." Alys trailed off with a small smile.

"So there's no changing your mind and dragging you back to the castle?" Kourga ventured hopefully.

"Nope," Alys said decisively.

"Then I'm coming with you."

"That's cute. No you're not, Kourga. I don't think I have enough coin to pay for you anyways, and if I thought Ryan had a distinct lack of stealth, that makes you... really loud and obvious."

"I mean it, Alys," Kourga said, puffing out his chest proudly, earning him an eyeroll from Elijah as well as Alys. Ryan simply looked enchanted. "My orders from King Alistair were to bring you back to the castle alive, but he didn't mention any deadlines."

Alys's amusement was fading into irritation, "Kourga..." she growled.

Kourga held up two fingers, and then brought out a small package and held it out to Alys. "I brought these for you too."

"My daggers?" Alys guessed, taking the lumpy package cautiously and unwrapping it, smiling at her ebony daggers with velvet red hilts.

"We're not seriously considering allowing the knight to join us, are we?" Elijah growled, breaking the silence and sending Kourga a smoldering glare.

"He speaks!" Kourga says with faked astonishment, "Alys, really? A blood mage _and_ an Antivan?"

"Collecting cast-offs is what I do," Alys said with a wink. "You can come, Kourga," she relented, "But don't get us into any more trouble than you have to, kay?"

"Once we reach Highever, I'll send word to Denerim about the situation then." Kourga agreed with a solemn nod.

"Or, you could _not _send word," Alys said. "And we could also _not_ ditch you in Kirkwall."

Kourga sighed, "You're impossible."

"Am I now?" Alys said with an innocent grin. "We're losing daylight. Allow me to introduce my companions," she added, throwing a friendly arm around Ryan and Elijah, as if they had been friends since childhood. She knew it would irk Kourga.

Elijah ducked out of her grasp with a sheepish smile, replacing the arrow into its quiver and slinging the bow around his shoulder. "I'm Elijah Wolf," he said giving Kourga a disapproving look, which the knight promptly ignored.

"And this is Ryan," Alys said, releasing the blood mage from her grasp. "And I'm Alys! But you knew that."

Kourga gave a light chuckle, "Well, I suppose we had best get to know each other, if we're going all the way to Kirkwall together. I'm Ser Kourga Wilds, knight of His Majesty's service."

_A/N: So, I was thinking. This story takes place roughly nine years after the incidents in Kirkwall with Hawke. How much do you all think the war would be effecting the world? I plan on doing a complete overhaul of the story once Dragon Age III comes out, to include major events that might be interfering with the story I'm trying o get at._


	7. The City of Chains

"This is the famous Kirkwall?" Alys mused as they stepped into the middle of Lowtown, re-tying her hair into a loose ponytail after the grueling boat ride, apparently the best that Kourga could manage. "Consider me unimpressed," she sighed. After a week at sea, however, Alys could care less about how interesting the city was, as long as there was a warm bed somewhere with her name on it, and none of the ceaseless rocking that came with the ocean.

"We won't be staying here for long, are we?" Ryan whispered as the group wound their way through the various passageways of the city-state, the sun setting, "Things are still tense with mages around here, and my phylactery is floating about somewhere."

"I'm sure we could hide you for a day, at least," Elijah said with a charming smile, swinging a flirtatious arm around the blood mage's shoulder, "Just think of the brothel!"

"We're not even staying the night, Wolf," Alys retorted, the finality in her tone unmistakeable. "After the Hawke incident years ago, we can't afford to take chances."

"We don't need to restock at all? The shops are closed already, and I've only a few arrows left," Elijah pointed out, "As much as I love hunting with Ulfric to feed you all, even I can't catch rabbits with my bare hands, or imaginary arrows."

Ulfric gave a bark and wagged his tail to express his enthusiasm. "Yes, I know you can catch one, but you can't catch enough to feed us all by yourself," Elijah added, nudging the dog affectionately.

Alys scowled. Over the weeks it took the group to get to Kirkwall, Ulfric had become less her mabari than the group's mabari, and it made her jealous how close the large black dog was with the ex-assassin. "Don't you take his side, Ulfric," Alys scolded, a little harsher than she had meant to. Ulfric merely barked and Alys rolled her eyes.

"As much as I hate to admit it," Kourga piped in, "Elijah has a valid point. We need to replenish our supplies and recover from the voyage. However, it is unsafe for Ryan to be in the city for any period of time, especially in light of the rebellion."

Alys thought through all of the possibilities, making a face. "Maybe we should split up then?"

"I can stay in Kirkwall then until the shops open and we can get more supplies," Elijah volunteered slyly, and Alys laughed softly.

"And leave you with all of the coin we've managed to gather?" Alys said incredulously, "Especially after that brothel comment."

"Then leave Ulfric here to check my spending. He's smart enough, aren't you boy?" Elijah asked, petting the dog's head.

"No, I've made up my mind," Alys said, "Elijah, you and I will be staying the night in Kirkwall. Kourga, you will take Ryan and make camp on the mountain, and Ulfric will go with you as well, that way you two can get some sleep while he stands guard."

"Mhmm," Elijah purred, and Alys rolled her eyes, "We'll be staying in the same room I hope?"

Alys noticed Kourga turning a tomato-red even in the fading light, and he was about to make some sort of retort when she said instead, "You will be spending your night in the brothel, Elijah."

"You're no fun," Elijah said in a very childish fashion, and for a second, Alys thought he might even go so far as to stick his tongue out at her.

The group remained together until they reached the gates of Kirkwall. As planned, Kourga and Ryan left with Ulfric while Alys and Elijah stayed with all of their coin.

"Be careful, Alys," Kourga said under his breath as they said their farewells, "You have always been too quick to trust others."

"Elijah means me no harm, I assure you," Alys said, a hint of amusement at Kourga's concern for her.

"Quite the opposite, I'm sure," the knight said coldly, casting a glare to where the archer was holding a conversation with Ryan.

Alys narrowed her eyes, "Like your intentions are any different," she scowled, turning her back on him, "Farewell, Kourga," she said, a little bitingly as she hurried into the city. Elijah was on her heels in no time.

* * *

_Alys and Elijah_

After about half an hour of wandering aimlessly, Alys and Elijah eventually found the Hanged Man: a place smelling mostly of vomit and misery, but it offered rooms at a low rate, and no one asked unpleasant questions.

"Maker, I hate this city," Alys sighed, collapsing into a seat at the bar and signalling for the bartender to give her something alcoholic.

She shouldn't have been surprised to find Elijah gracefully taking a seat beside her, laying the gold coins down to pay for both of their drinks. "You weren't serious about me staying at the brothel, were you?" he asked, twirling an arrow absently. "It's a bunch more expensive, I'd assume."

"Worth every dime," the bartender commented as he took the coin from the rogues and replaced it with two pints of ale, "or so I hear," he gave an innocent shrug before wandering off to one of the other patrons.

Alys gave Elijah a suspicious look and held the mug in both of her hands as she shifted to face him. "It's up to you I suppose. But we're not sharing a room anywhere."

"Of course not," Elijah asked, taking a healthy chug from his own pint, "That would be too easy," he said between coughs, before setting the mug down with a grimace. "Maker, what was in that ale? It tastes like shit!"

Alys blinked and looked down into her mug a little nervously. Sure enough, there was something thick floating in it, so she cleared her throat and set it down on the bar beside Elijah's. "So... you escaped the Crows?" she asked awkwardly.

"'Escape' might not be the right word. It's more like I didn't complete a contract, and now they're hunting me. Oh, and I don't plan on going back," Elijah answered

"Will we have trouble crossing the border?" Alys said, "I've heard that the Crows are pretty much in control there."

"We would have had trouble anyways, princess," Elijah said with a sly grin, "What's a few more dead bodies?"

"Ryan doesn't like fighting. I don't know if we'd be able to take out assassins without her help. And for all his bravado, Kourga has never struck anyone dead either," Alys pointed out.

Elijah blinked, "I never would have guessed, by the way she was slowly frying my brain after my timely rescue," he said thoughtfully, "Though I can picture the knight being a bit sheltered. But what of you?"

"Me?" Alys asked incredulously, crossing her arms over her chest somewhat indignantly. "Clarify your meaning."

"You grew up in the castle, did you not?" Elijah asked, "I mean no disrespect, but you don't seem to have the usual issue that commoners and nobles have about killing."

Alys thought for a moment, a frown gracing her features as she realized his point. "I don't know why it doesn't bother me. Maybe it's more important to me to protect my friends than to worry about innocent lives," she concluded after a while.

"Then I'm glad to count you as a friend. We'll need that... _resolve_ of yours... in Antiva," Elijah said, approval clear in his tone.

"Why is that, anyways?" Alys asked, sincerely curious.

"Why is what?" Elijah laughed, "Why I consider you a friend, or why we'll need your killer attitude in Antiva?"

"Why do you consider me a friend?" Alys said, biting back a laugh of her own. Elijah blinked.

"We have been travelling together for a while. And back when Ryan came for you, you did not let her kill me," Elijah replied easily.

"Well, that was gratitude for my rescuer with Ryan," Alys said airily, a smile on her face as she sat up a little straighter. "Our travels have made us closer though, I admit."

"How much closer?" Elijah asked, dropping into a lower voice and leaning a little closer to Alys. The elf scoffed and pushed him back by the shoulder.

"You ruin the moment. I don't like you like that," she said hastily, looking away as a blush made its way through her face, all the way up to her ears.

Elijah gave a small smile and stood up. "I'll be seeing you later, Alys Tabris," he said smoothly, shouldering his bow and heading for the door of the Hanged Man.

"Where are you going?" Alys demanded, her voice sounding more violent than she intended. Elijah was unfazed.

"I have an old _friend_ in Kirkwall that I need to find," Elijah replied darkly.

"And kill?" Alys asked.

"I'll let you know when I get back," Elijah said shortly, though his tone made Alys think the answer was actually yes. The archer left the bar, and Alys let out a breath she hadn't noticed she'd been holding.

"Two rooms for the night, please," Alys said as the bartender came and cleared Elijah's mug, "One for me, and one for the man who just left. Elijah Wolf," she informed him, dropping the coin into the man's palm. "You have room?"

"Plenty of room," the bartender said, counting the sovereigns and eying the elf warily, "Not many travellers since nine years ago."

"The Hawke problem?" Alys guessed. She hadn't heard much about the Champion of Kirkwall, as she was very secluded from the world and its goings-on at the palace in Denerim, but she knew the basics. The Champion was a rebel, and an unnaturally powerful woman that set fire to Chantrys throughout Thedas, though only the one in Kirkwall was actually destroyed in the physical sense.

"The Hawke problem," the bartender repeated with an affirmative nod, "Outsiders have it all wrong though. She did some good things for this place. Kirkwall was a mess before her."

"Really?" Alys said, tilting her head with genuine curiosity. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Nay," the bartender said, lifting his hands innocently, "I'm a wretched storyteller, and I don't know the whole story anyways. You'd do better tracking down one of the Champions co-conspirators yourself."

"I'll pass," Alys sighed with a shrug, admittedly a bit disappointed, "I've got enough on my plate as it is. I'm Alys," she said, extending her hand in a friendly gesture.

"Corff," the bartender replied with a greasy smile, "Anything else you need, messere?"

"Just the one thing," Alys replied, "Do you know anything about the Hero of Fereldan?"

"Only the legend itself," Corff responded, "I know less about Kassedi Tabris than I know about Fiona Hawke."

"Ah," Alys said disappointedly, "Thanks anyways, Corff. You should really brush up on your stories though, as a bartender. It's one of the traits that the owner would keep an eye on isn't it? Keeping patrons entertained?"

"I appreciate your concern, serah, but I am in no danger of losing my job. I own the Hanged Man," Corff said with an amiable smile.

"I should have known," Alys said with a grin. "Thank you for everything. I'll retire to my room for tonight." Alys parted with the bartender and walked away from the bar, avoiding eye contact with the other patrons as she headed to the back where her room would be.

* * *

_Kourga, Ulfric and Ryan_

"I think we're far enough away from Kirkwall now," Ryan panted, leaning heavily on her staff. The three had been hiking up the mountain for an hour now, and it was past dark. The only one of the three not showing any signs of tiredness was Ulfric, who was constantly running far enough ahead to be cloaked in the darkness, leading them on only by his barking.

"Ulfric doesn't," Kourga sighed, as the dog came back to them barking wildly once again.

"Can't we stop short of the top of Sundermount? I read about a Dalish graveyard up there, and I suspect the Veil is weaker there," Ryan breathed.

"We can stop here, I suppose," Kourga said decisively, putting the bedrolls down heavily (he had been carrying Ryan's since three miles ago). Ulfric barked non-stop, in obvious distaste.

"Quit barking Ulfric, please?" Ryan asked, bending down to the black mabari's level and looking at him with wide eyes. The dog whined, but did as she said. "Good boy, don't worry. The demons at the top won't get us here, and the templars are in Kirkwall," she praised, feeding the dog an herb she had found called Silverweed, which was excellent for dog treats, akin to catnip for cats, without the negative psychological effects.

"We should set up a watch?" Kourga asked. Ryan figured he had meant it to be a statement, but his voice went up at the end of the sentence nonetheless.

"Perish the thought," Ryan said, waving a hand carelessly, "There's at most five hours until daybreak, and dogs are uncannily alert, even as they sleep. We'll be in no danger in taking a well earned rest."  
Kourga gave Ryan a hesitant look as she unrolled her bedroll and snuggled into the covers, her staff lying on the ground within reach. At length, he relented. "I suppose you're right. After so long at sea, we deserve to rest," he said decisively, unrolling his own bedroll and settling in.

"Kourga?" Ryan said quietly after a while. The knight turned over drowsily and opened his eyes. "Why do you follow Alys?"

Kourga blinked slowly and sat up. "She's important to me. I would rather die than to see her harmed," he said honestly, gazing at the mage as she averted her eyes and lay on her back, staring at the starry night sky that swallowed Sundermount. When she didn't reply, he too laid back down. "Why do you follow her?"

"An excellent question," Ryan replied quietly. "She's just... trustworthy, I can tell it. That kind of loyalty... it's engraved in one's heart, and will never falter," she said passionately, "I don't know why I follow her, but I can't stop. I too would do anything to protect her."

"Even blood magic?" Kourga asked.

"It's the best tool I have," Ryan answered somberly, "Even though it might well be my undoing."

"So you do not take this path out of ignorance, yet you follow it still. Blood magic has consequences, Ryan!" Kourga whispered violently, and Ryan sighed.

"I don't expect you to understand," she said coldly, "No one ever does. I'm willing to pay the price. My life is forfeit already."

"And what of Alys? Of that assassin, Elijah, and me? What if we have to pay for it too?" Kourga said hotly.

"Enough! I'll not be lectured, Kourga," Ryan hissed, shifting so that her back was to the knight.

Kourga gave an angry sigh, and didn't reply any further. He turned himself over with a huff and shut his eyes and wondered what Alys will do about Ryan if she becomes possessed.

* * *

_Elijah_

Elijah Wolf stalked out of the Hanged Man and made his way with little caution through Lowtown. He came to the large tree in the alienage and looked up curiously, wondering if Alys shared a fascination with trees as many elves do.

"You came alone, good boy," said a familiar voice, and Elijah smiled at the still more familiar feel of cold steel against his neck.

"Devyn," Elijah said curtly, keeping calm and not moving an inch. The man let out a soft laugh and released Elijah, so that they faced each other. Devyn was an elf with dark red hair and wicked amber eyes, and a devillish smirk.

"You're going the wrong way, Elijah. Fereldan is the other way, or are you returning without fulfilling your task?" Devyn asked, twirling a dagger, and drawing a second.

"Have faith, Devyn," Elijah said, still making no move against the elf, "I still plan to complete the contract."

"Indeed? Why do you travel with such a group of distractions?" Devyn asked with a growl, "Must they be disposed of?"

"No," Elijah said, a little too quickly, but he recovered with the same speed, "That will not be necessary. They are only tools," he said cooly, crossing his arms. Devyn finally put the daggers away, and Elijah gave a small sigh of relief in his mind.

"Get on with the using them then," Devyn snapped, glaring at Elijah, "The longer you delay the inevitable, the more likely it is that the kill order will be switched from her to you."

Elijah gave a short bow, his dark hair coming out of place before he came back up. "I know my place among the Crows," he said solemnly. As he looked up, Devyn was gone. Elijah gave a sly smile. He knew what had to be done.


End file.
